Alcalá View 1997 14.1

Moving and Shaking in Financial Aid_ By Jill Wagner She's worked in the Office of Financial

Benetits Brief

Newly hired faculty, staff and administrative employ- ees should contact Esther Nissenson immediately at ext. 8762 to schedule a benefits orientation. Eligible employ- ees must enroll in their insur- ance coverage within 30 days from their date of eligibility. If not enrolled within this peri- od, coverage may not be available until Jan. 1, 1998. A reminder to returning part-time faculty. If you have a benefits-based job this fall, and you had benefits last spring , please contact Esther. You also have a 30- day window in which to rein- state your insurance cover- age, and if appropriate, retirement contributions. Human resources must receive a tuition remission application for part-time stu- dents no later than 10 days before the first day of class. Late fees may be incurred if the application is received after the deadline. Tuition remission forms are available in human resources. The provision which allow- ed an employee to exclude $5,250 in tuition remission benefits for graduate level classes expired June 30, 1996. Congress considered extending this provision. Unfortunately, the final ver- sion of the 1997 Taxpayer Relief Act did not include an extension . Therefore, tuition remission benefits for gradu- ate courses will be consid- ered taxable income begin- ning July 1, 1996. You may expect an estimated 30 per- cent tax withholding. Health insurance compa- nies require student status verifications on dependents covered by the university's health plans and who are full- time students between the ages of 18 and 25. If the veri- fication form is not returned to the insurance company in a timely manner, medical and dental coverage could be canceled . - Vicki Coscia

Aid Services for 10 years, but her co-workers had never seen CC Costanzo quite like she was the day the department moved from Serra Hall to Hughes Center. Decked out in an apron, the pockets filled with a tape measure, markers and box cutters, Costanzo directed the entire move from a perch in the third-floor hallway. The clipboard constantly in her hand held a map of where each box, desk, chair and filing cabinet was to be placed. The new office numbers were also on the map, though Costanzo rarely needed to refer to them. Whether the box was marked HC319, 313 or 304, she quickly steered the movers in the right direction. The job may have been one of a genera l directing the troops, but Costanza's enthusi- asm for life and contagious laugh can put anyone at ease. Judith Lewis Logue, direc- tor of financial aid services, notes with appreciation that the movers "bent over backward to accommodate (Costanza's) requests." Usually it's Costanzo, in her role as finan- cial aid adviser, who will do anything to help a student, parent or colleague. Her extraordinary abi lity to organize large pro- jects - including logging all documents submitted by financial aid recipients - and the wealth of knowledge stored in her head has earned Costanzo the admiration of co- workers across campus. This year Costanzo learned just how much she is appreciated when she was named a fina list for the 1997 Manuel Hernandez Employee of the Year Award. "What distinguishes CC is not only her longevity in a stressful position, but her sin- cerity and concern in fulfilling her role at USD," says Lewis Logue. "She is very com- mitted to doing the right thing, and taking that extra step to fo llow through." A vast amount of work goes on in Costanza's cozy cubicle, which is fi lled with trays, notebooks and baskets fu ll of docu- ments to be logged, mail to be opened and distributed, or forms to be updated and pho- tocopied. Often a student worker shares the space with Costanzo; always other advisers or financial counselors file in to ask ques- tions.

CC Costanzo and her clipboard - which held a map of where each piece of furniture would go -:- were inseparable when the Office of Fmanczal Aid Services moved to the Hughes Administration Center. Costanzo grew up in a suburb of C leveland, one of six kids. Dealing with constant interruptions and people always in her space probably feels normal. Being a leader and office manager are skills she per- fected at USD, working in an office that has grown from seven to 17 employees in her decade here. Costanzo handles everything from order- ing supplies to figuring out why a financial aid application is hung up. The latter is a skill especially dear to students and parents, who often call or visit the office in a panic. Because of her understanding of how the big picture works, Costanzo moved into her position of monitoring incoming documents and helping students after about four months on the job. "I can look and know instantly what's the matter with a file," she says. But when recalling moving day, Costanzo laughs and wonders out loud where the drive to take over the whole project came from. "It's kind of funny. Something in here just takes over," she says, pointing to her head.